Pieces of a Puzzle
by haunted lullaby
Summary: Yuna uses Tidus as bait for the revenge of the death of her father. Little does she know that a puzzle piece of the story she had been taught for year is missing. Follow Yuna as she journeys into a constant struggle to control her emotions.
1. Cold Blooded Assassin

**Pieces of a Puzzle**

Chapter 1 Cold Blooded Assassin

**Summary:** An insatiable power had taken over Jecht. It was a power that caused him to destroy the friendship with Braska. Yuna was only four years old. Ever since that gruesome night, Yuna began training to revenge her father. Using Tidus, Jecht's only son, as bait she would soon reach her goal. However, could a puzzle piece be missing and will Yuna develop feelings towards the bait?

"_Amelia! Wake up!" Braska screamed. His eyes were full of terror as he shook his sleeping wife awake. She awoke with a scream and jumped out of bed. Her pale body was shivering in the moonlight._

"_What's wrong?" Amelia shivered._

_Braska tore open the closet doors and threw a suitcase onto the bed, "Grab your things and get your ass and Yuna out of here!" He then turned and ripped off Amelia's clothing from the hangars and began throwing her clothes into the suitcase._

"_What's going on?" she screamed._

"_Don't ask questions, just do what I say!" Braska ordered through clench teeth. Deciding that it was best not to argue, Amelia tore open Yuna's door and ran over to her daughters sleeping form._

"_Yuna, come on, we're going on a little trip," Amelia whispered, trying to sound as calm as she possibly could. Despite the racket Braska was making, but Yuna didn't seem to notice. Yuna's tired eyes fluttered open and glared at her mother. "I know it's late, but we need to go," Amelia cooed. She grabbed Yuna's night robe and handed it to her. _

"_Where are we going mommy?" Yuna asked sleepily. _

_Amelia forced a smile, "Someplace special." Yuna smiled back and put on her night robe before allowing Amelia to scoop her into her arms. Yuna rested her head onto Amelia's shoulder and started to fall back into a slumber. Amelia carefully walked back to her room._

"_Now get out of here," Braska growled, trying to sound calm, but he was obviously failing._

"_Not without you," Amelia whispered, careful not to wake the sleeping Yuna. Although Amelia and Braska's marriage were arranged, the two had learned to love each other. Their marriage was arranged to bring the Al Bhed and Bevellians together. This task was very difficult at first, considering that they both had to very different lifestyles, but their marriage did finally bring peace amongst the two groups. _

"_Don't worry about, okay, I just need to know that you are kept safe," Braska urged Amelia. "I already called your brother, so he is on his way," Braska continued. _

"_At least tell me what's going on," Amelia said. She took a step forward and glared at Braska, trying to probe some information out of him, but she was unsuccessful. All Braska could do was shake his head, before he pulled a book from a bookshelf. The bookshelf immediately sunk into the wall and a passageway developed._

"_Go," Braska instructed and Amelia followed his directions. Just as she stepped into the damp hallway, the passageway was sealed. Amelia turned and pounded the wall with her free hand, but there was no answer. Tears started to stream down her face as fear started to grip her body. Something obviously was terribly wrong and she feared for her husband's life. _

"_Mommy, where are we?" Yuna's sleepy voice asked suddenly. _

"_It's okay sweetie, just go back to sleep," Amelia cooed. She turned and looked down the empty hallway. It was foreboding and very terrifying, but she trusted Braska with all her heart so she started to walk through it. _

_She walked and walked until she was finally greeted by the moonlight. The passageway led to the cold, frozen Macalania forest. Amelia shuttered at the sudden change of temperature and searched for what to do next, that's when she saw her brother. She ran towards him and was greeted with his open arms. "Do you have any idea what's going on?" Amelia asked fearfully._

"_I don't know. Braska just called and ordered me to come get you and Yuna immediately," Cid explained, nervously. He grabbed Amelia's freehand and the two began to walk towards his airship. His eyes darted around nervously for any sign of danger. _

_They finally reached the airship and Amelia handed Yuna to Cid. "Are you coming?" Cid asked nervously._

"_I'm not leaving without Braska," Amelia said defiantly. Her eyes began to search for any sign of her lost husband._

"_I don't think that's a good idea, I feel like there is danger lurking around. Braska seemed very distressed when he called me," Cid advised._

"_I'm not leaving without him," Amelia repeated. Cid rolled his eyes and started up the platform. He was greeted by an Al Bhed woman, which he handed her Yuna. He then started back down the platform. He wasn't leaving without his sister._

_Suddenly, there was a scuffle in the trees and out came Jecht. "Jecht! Do you know what's going on?" Amelia asked suddenly. She rushed over to her father's friend. Braska and Jecht had grown up together and a deep friendship had developed between the two. Amelia trusted him with all her heart._

"_You better come with me," Jecht's gruff voice said smoothly._

"_Why, what happened?" Amelia asked worriedly._

"_Come and you will see," Jecht replied._

"_Amelia! What are you doing? We need to leave!" Cid yelled from the airship. Jecht glared at Cid. He never liked Amelia's brother. There was something about him that grated his nerves._

"_Don't worry about me. Take Yuna and go!" Amelia called out to her brother._

"_But…" Cid called back._

"_Go!" Amelia insisted. Cid sighed and turned. He felt that he should trust Jecht, but something didn't seem right. However, he knew how stubborn Amelia was and it was almost impossible to win an argument with her. He didn't have the energy to challenge her, so he just ignored his feelings. His body soon disappeared into the airship, not knowing that would be the last time he ever saw his sister alive._

**Yuna **sat up with a fright with sweat plastered on her head and her breathing irregular. She turned to find that it was only three in the morning. She rolled her eyes in disgust. Each night she would drag her tired body to bed at around one and would always wake up at three, with the same dream. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to fall back to sleep, she threw the covers off her sweaty body and got dressed.

It was another day closer to the revenge she would soon experience. Her blood boiled at the thought. It had been fifteen long years since Jecht had betrayed her parents and now things were finally coming together. The man's existence that had caused her so much and pain and anger would soon evaporate. Yuna smiled at the thought. She had become a cold blooded assassin.

Yuna took her cherished guns from the nightstand and stepped into the hallway. The hallway was surprisingly empty. Yuna took a right and eased into an elevator, before willing it to go to the basement. This was her morning ritual. She would wake up at an early hour and head to the basement to practice her shooting.

The elevator finally reached the bottom and Yuna walked into the empty room. She licked her lips with anxiety and set one of her guns on the table in front of her. She took the other and punched a number into a control panel. A target appeared and Yuna immediately began shooting at it. Each time she shot, she hit the center of the target's head. Yuna smiled at her work. There was no way she could miss.

The elevator suddenly came to life again and Cid appeared in the doorway. "I figured you be down here," he grumbled gruffly. Cid had taken it hard when Amelia died. He blamed himself for not following his intuition and forcing Amelia to get on the airship. If he had, then she would still be here today.

He had since become the leader of the Al Bhed clan. He was a great and kind, helping his people as much as he could. After Jecht had taken Braska's position as Maester, he banished the Al Bhed to Bikanel Island. They used to live in the grassy Calm Lands, but now they were forced to make the best of the desert landscape of Bikanel.

Yuna turned to face her uncle, a strong aroma of whiskey and cigarettes radiated off of him, causing Yuna's nose to crinkle. "Have you been drinking again, uncle?" Yuna asked him.

"I'm trying to quit, but it's hard," Cid grumbled. He took a handgun from a shelf and punched in a code onto another station and began shooting. Yuna watched him shoot, marveled by how good his accuracy was, despite his drunken state. "Has Badan been treating you well?" Cid asked.

Yuna just laughed in ridicule. Badan was her appointed trainer and she was also bound to him. He had heart of stone and was ruthless, but he was a great trainer. He was the one responsible for making Yuna a killing machine.

"I knew I never should have signed that contract, I'm sorry," Cid stated for the millionth time.

"Uncle, how many times do I have to tell you? I only have one goal and he is the only one qualified to teach me to reach that goal," Yuna explained. She remembered meeting the man the first time. She was at the young, innocent age of eight, but that day was when she lost that touch of innocence. Ever since then, her life had been a constant struggle. She was forced to watch "the sphere" over and over again. It was difficult at first, but now, it only makes her angrier.

Badan had stripped every emotion away from Yuna. If she laughed in happiness or cried in sadness he beat her. She didn't know how to laugh anymore, nor did she know how to cry. All she felt was an uncontrollable anger that had been building up since the last night with her parents.

"I still don't like it. I don't like what you have become. Yes, I want revenge, but did you have to become this monster?" Cid mumbled.

"Fate wants me to become this. It is my job to kill that man for what he did. You saw the sphere, he needs to die!" Yuna growled. She picked up her gun and began to shoot at the target again. The anger that she kept hidden inside her was now pulsating her veins. She knew she had turned into a madwoman, but she loved it. She loved the sound the bullet escaping from her gun. She loved the idea of blooding spilling out of the wound she created.

"As long as you're happy," Cid sighed. Yuna just smiled evilly as she admired her work. Once again, a single hole was punctured in the head of the target. She looked down at her watch and realized she had spent a long, thrilling hour of shooting. "By the way there is a meeting at the crack of dawn. I think it's about time that you fulfill this so called destiny," Cid informed her.

"It's about time! I've been ready since I learned how to shoot a gun," Yuna scoffed. Cid didn't answer instead, he forlornly put his gun back onto a shelf and left in silence. Yuna watched him leave, again feeling bad for the man. The last fifteen years have been a complete terror for him.

**At **the crack of dawn Yuna found herself strolling towards the conference room. The halls were now showing some signs of activity as the Al Bheds were busily starting their day. "Yunie!" a shrilly voice suddenly squealed.

Yuna spun around to find her bubbly cousin bounding towards her. Yuna rolled her eyes. She liked her cousin, but her bubbly attitude often gave her a bit of a headache. "Good morning, Rikku," Yuna greeted her.

"Hi! Where ya going?" Rikku asked.

"I have a meeting," Yuna replied simply.

"Is it about your task?" Rikku asked, while elbowing Yuna's ribs.

"I believe so. I think they'll finally let me do it," Yuna smiled at the thought. She couldn't wait to see the man's face as she lodged the bullet into his forehead.

"Do you have a plan?" Rikku asked. Yuna rolled her eyes. Rikku was a woman of a thousand questions.

"Not yet, but I believe that is what we're going to discuss. Now, if you excuse me, I'm a little late," Yuna said. Rikku nodded and allowed her cousin to leave her presence. Rikku's eyes followed her until she was out of site. She wished things could be a little different for Yuna.

Yuna entered the conference room to find it occupied with Badan, Cid, and Brother. Brother was also Yuna's cousin. He was in charge of the airship that transported Yuna around, so he was always attended these secret meetings.

"You're late," Badan scolded Yuna. She just bowed and took a seat at the long table.

"So, let's get this meeting started," Yuna urged.

"Do you have a plan?" Cid asked.

"Well, that's what I was hoping to discuss. I don't see why I can't just barge on in and shoot the bastard," Yuna growled.

"Because that's suicide! Jecht has a huge army that protects him very well. Plus, after he is dead, who is going to take over? Jecht's son?" Cid asked. The named Jecht burned his tongue as he articulated it. Cid didn't normally hate, but he did hate that man.

"What's wrong with that? That Tidus boy is a bit of a wimp. Maybe if we can use him," Badan chimed thoughtfully.

"What do you mean?" Yuna asked.

"He has a weakness with women. He's a man that likes to get around. We can use you to lure him into our trap. You work little magic and we'll take him and bring him back here. Then we can train and manipulate him to be the leader we want. Then Yuna can take him back. She'll use him for her protection. If any of the guards touch her, she can threaten that boy's life. The soldiers will surely back off. Instead, they'll lead her to Jecht's chambers and BANG he's dead," Badan explained.

"Sounds like too much work! I just want it to be quick and easy," Yuna grumbled.

"Yes, but we also want the job to be beneficial. It may seem risky, but I like Badan's idea," Cid said. Yuna rolled her eyes and rubbed her pounding forehead. "I think Yuna should leave this afternoon, so that we can start our magic as soon as possible. Brother, get the Celsius ready. Badan, I want you and Gippal to go and do the actual kidnapping. Now go and get ready," Cid ordered. Badan and Brother bowed and left the room, leaving Yuna and Cid alone.

"I don't want to do this! It seems too complicated," Yuna complained.

"I know you would rather just make the job fast and painless, but we need to be careful. Plus, we need to make sure that our job will not seem like a waste in the end. Now, you're going to need a name," Cid sighed. "How about Alyona Barsukov?" Cid continued.

"Yuck!" Yuna growled.

"Well that's your name, so deal with it. You are a reporter looking to write a story about the palace, so you need a tour. That's when you work your seductive magic. You're definitely good at that," Cid chuckled.

"Whatever!" Yuna growled. She stood up and stomped out of the room. Oh how she wished the job could be a little easier and faster. The thought of sleeping with the son of the man that killed her parents made her feel sick.

**A/N: **So there you have it, a new story. This idea just randomly popped in my head while I was watching V for Vendetta one day. I'm really excited about how this story is going to end up. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter and idea as much as I do! Review and I may update faster. Who knows…


	2. Operation Renewal

**Pieces of a Puzzle**

Chapter 2 Operation Renewal

Yuna eyed herself in the mirror with disgust. She was currently sporting a tight, tweed, pink suit. The top was cropped low enough to show the top of her bosom and to drive any man's eyes towards the respectable area. The cloth clung to her body, revealing curves that Yuna didn't even know she had. The skirt was cut right at the knee, showing off her long smooth legs, accented by the black spiked heels of her shoes. Overall, the suit gave Yuna a glowing sex appeal that would turn any man's head. Yet, Yuna was not satisfied.

She hated pink and she definitely hated drawing out attention of herself. She had been taught to conceal everything she felt and did from the public. However, the pink suit was like a flashing neon sign, catching everyone's eye.

"I hate it!" Yuna growled as she twirled around again in the mirror.

"I think you look hot and I'm sure you'll catch his attention," Rikku smiled in approval, although there was a slight stab of jealousy inside her. Despite Tidus's lineage, Rikku had always had a slight crush on Tidus.

"Unfortunately," Yuna mumbled. She quickly brushed her hair and fixed her skirt before turning towards Rikku. "Do I look like a reporter? Does this actually look like it might work?" She quickly turned away again and stared at herself in the mirror.

Rikku chuckled, "I'm sure it won't matter either way. Tidus supposedly has a soft spot for beautiful women, so he'll totally be oblivious to everything around him. I'm sure everything will be just fine. All you have to do is shaky shaky your butt to the palace, catch his attention, and sleep with him. It's that easy."

The thought of sleeping with Tidus caused a wave of nausea to swirl in Yuna's stomach. She couldn't believe everybody was expecting her to sleep with the son of the man that deceived her parents. He didn't commit the crime, but he was still a strong follower of his father, which made her sick.

"You are going to sleep with him right? That is part of the plan," Rikku said with her eyebrows raised. Yuna just rolled her eyes and fussed with her skirt once again.

"When are we going to land? I just want to get this fucking thing over with!" Yuna complained. Rikku smiled and pulled her cousin's short hair back into a messy bun. She then grabbed a pair of thick, black glasses and handed them to her.

"Wear these. They'll make you look professional," Rikku ordered. Yuna glowered at the glasses, but took them and put them on. She felt and looked like some sort of porn star.

The door suddenly opened and Badan appeared. "Oh, doesn't my sweet Alyona Barsukov look lovely?" Badan studied her evilly, enjoying the new Yuna that stood in front of him. His smile quickly faded as he caught a glimpse of Yuna's angry eyes. "Oh no! That won't do! She has one eye of Al Bhed green, which would immediately get her thrown out of the palace!" Badan growled angrily.

"What am I supposed to do then? Dye my eye?" Yuna challenged. She turned towards him and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"No, I have to get you a blue contact," Badan said, rolling his eyes.

"And where are you going to get one?" Yuna challenged once again.

"Don't question my genius nature, I will get you one, once we land. Rikku, you did well," Badan smiled. He quickly turned away and left the room.

"Don't question my genius nature! Some genius you are, let me tell you!" Yuna spat. She turned back towards the mirror, staring at her eyes reflecting back at her. She loved her eyes. They reflected her mixed lineage and the bond that her father fought so hard to create between the Al Bhed and Bevellians.

Her eyes are all that is left of that bond. As soon as Jecht had become the new maestor, that bond had shattered into millions of pieces. The shards that remained were just too sharp to put back together and they would remain that way until things changed. That was Yuna's job.

The door opened to the cabin once again, but this time Gippal appeared in the doorway. "Brother wanted me to tell you that we're almost there," Gippal told them. He walked closer, eyeing Yuna's new outfit.

"Finally! I just want to get this thing over and done with!" Yuna snapped. She pulled her eyes away from the mirror and started to exit the cabin, but Gippal grabbed her by the arm before she could proceed.

"Don't screw this up, you hear. We need this to work," Gippal warned her.

Yuna pulled her arm out of his grasp, eyeing him angrily, "Who are you to tell me what to do!" She then stomped out of the cabin, anger surging and pouring through. Gippal watched her storm off, shaking his head. "She's out of control."

"Who can blame her. She's been taught only one thing and that is revenge," Rikku sighed. She touched her pounding forehead in distress. She hated to see her cousin the way she was. She knew that deep inside there had to be a sweet, happy side of Yuna that is desperately trying to claw its way out.

"No thanks to Badan," Gippal snorted. He shook his head once more and allowed his heavy feet to take him towards the elevator and to the bridge. Rikku followed close behind him. Their hearts both full of anticipation and unbearable anger.

Yuna stomped into the bridge, ignoring the stares that were developing around her. She grabbed her two guns and quickly strapped them to her leg, camouflaged by the pink fabric of her skirt. Badan eyed her all the way. Yuna felt his stares and shot an angry look towards him, "Just in case, okay!"

"Whatever," Badan growled. Yuna rolled her eyes and looked out the window. The cold, frozen Macalania Forest could be seen below the racing airship. Yuna could feel the familiar feeling of a rapid descent towards the forest. Deep within the forest there was a secret cavern that played a good role of hiding the ship. It was far away from the city of Bevelle and the cloaking device helped keep the wondering eyes from seeing catching a glimpse of it.

The ship finally landed and Yuna stepped into the pale light. Even though the light was pale, the lights still refracted off the crystallized trees, giving the forest an eerie, creepy aura. Yuna crossed her arms and tried to shake off the eerie feeling that had begun to take over her.

"Isn't this forest just marvelous?" Badan grinned while taking a deep breath of a fresh air. He then slid his muscular arm around Yuna's slender shoulders. "What do you think, my sweet love?"

Yuna pushed him off, "I have a mission to do, please don't distract me!" She straightened up her outfit and began to start the journey towards Bevelle, but Badan grabbed her arm tightly and brought her towards him.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Badan asked the anxious Yuna. He held up a contact case and shoved it into her hands. Yuna took it, glaring at him the whole time. "Put them on! You'll only blow your cover and then all chances will be lost!"

"Not really, I can just sneak into the palace and shoot the guys ass!" Yuna snapped. She raised up her hands, getting ready to throw the retched piece of plastic at him, but Badan grabbed her hand.

"It's just a contact!" He insisted.

"Yeah, a contact that will destroy everything that is worth fighting for!" Yuna growled. Despite her anger, she lowered her arm and her fingers fumbled to open the case. It finally opened and inside rested a single blue contact. Yuna gingerly picked up and placed it in her eye.

"That is a girl. Now, you may go!" Badan smiled. Yuna rolled her eyes, but grabbed her camera and notebook and began the long trek to the city.

After about an hour, Yuna finally reached the bridge leading into the city. The streets were crowded as the people went about their days. Yuna had always enjoyed visiting the city of Bevelle, despite the existence of the large palace deep within the city. The city had been her first home and she had many fond memories of spending time with her parents. Yuna shook the thoughts away, however. She needed to focus.

A large towering gate stood before her and the sight of the large palace stood before her. Two guards stood inside, glaring at her. "Hello, my name Alyona Barsukov and I am here from the Besaid Tribune. I am interested in doing an article about the palace and I was wondering if it would possible if I could enter and take a few pictures and make some observations?" The thick heavy accent rolled off of Yuna's tongue quite nicely.

However, the guards shook their heads, "I am sorry, but Lord Jecht is tired of you stupid reporters! You guys are nothing but a bunch of asswipes that want to invade the privacy of our Lord. He is a very busy man, he doesn't need the headaches from the flashing of your guys cameras."

"That my friend, is paparazzi. I am a reporter. There is a difference," Yuna said smoothly.

"Reporters. Paparazzi. They are all the same!" One of the guards spat. He then had the nerve to spit at her. Yuna's angry eyes creeped up to him and she felt her hands moving towards the gun that was hidden underneath her skirt.

"Is there a problem?" A voice suddenly asked. Yuna looked up and found a very handsome blonde hair man standing behind the guards.

"Milord Tidus, this woman wants to go into the palace and take pictures. You know how your father feels about that. He will have our head if he finds out that we let another one of those paparazzi pigs in here," The guard said shakily.

Tidus peered around the two guards and carefully studied the pink clad woman. "She doesn't look like paparazzi. I will keep an eye, please let her through." The guards bowed and began to open the gates.

Yuna was thrown off by the kindness in Tidus's voice. She had always pictured him as some sort of stuck up pretty little rich boy that was cold to everybody but himself. However, the guards seemed to respect him deeply. It seemed like they worshipped him, almost.

"What is your name?" Tidus asked kindly, suddenly pulling Yuna out of her thoughts. Yuna looked up at him and found herself lost in his charm. Despite her disgust with his lineage, she found him quite handsome and she enjoyed the allure that existed behind him. However, she shook all her thoughts and feeling away and began to focus on the task that was at hand.

"My name is Alyona Barsukov and I am with the Besaid Tribune. I have always had a deep interest in the palace and I was hoping that maybe you can give me a tour?" Yuna asked lightly.

"Very well," Tidus smiled and instructed her to follow him. Yuna held her chin up and took her place by his side. They walked down a winding path that was surrounded by thick trees. Yuna remembered when the grounds used to be surrounded by beautiful gardens, however, when Jecht moved in, he planted all these trees to keep wondering eyes out. Before Jecht moved in, outsiders were allowed in to view the gardens. However, now the gates remained closed and only the more important members of society were allowed in. The palace that she once loved as a child, now seemed sort of foreboding and dead. A child ran down her spine as she followed Tidus towards the palace.

"So, you are from Besaid?" Tidus asked, trying to spark some sort of conversation.

"Huh? Oh yes I am," Yuna answered awkwardly.

"I have been there on countless occasions, I don't think I remember seeing you around," Tidus smiled.

"Uh, well I travel a lot. My work keeps me busy," Yuna said.

"I see," Tidus said simply. A silence enveloped them once more. Yuna tried to shake off the eerie suspicion, but she had a feeling that Tidus wasn't buying anything she said.

They finally reached the beautiful palace and Yuna looked at the building that she once called her home. She was only four years old when she last lived there, but her memories held strong. It was the only thing she had left of her parents. She couldn't allow herself to lose the memories that were the dearest to her.

"Well, this is the outside of the palace," Tidus pointed out. Yuna rolled her eyes when he wasn't looking. She could perfectly tell that she was standing outside the walls of the palace that she once called home. "Well, are you going to take a picture?" Tidus questioned her, his eyebrows raised in suspicion.

"Oh, yes, sorry I was lost in the immaculate beauty of the building," Yuna's shaky voice replied. She gingerly laced her fingers around her camera and took a snapshot. Then grabbed her notebook and jotted some notes. Tidus's wary eyes were locked on her the whole time, causing a slight child down her spine. However, Yuna had learned to ignore such feelings.

"Okay, now let's go inside," Tidus smiled with satisfaction. Yuna let out a silent sigh of relief and allowed her uneasy feet to follow the enemy inside.

The inside of the palace was beautiful, yet very, very quiet. No sign of life existed in the long, beautifully decorated halls. It almost seemed like Yuna had walked through the walls of the farplane. Tidus led her to the back of the palace and took her outside into a beautiful, yet small garden of white roses. The sight sent a wave of anger through her. White roses were her mother's favorite flowers. "This has to be my most favorite place in the palace. I just love the aroma of roses," Tidus smiled. Yuna smiled back at him, but as soon as he looked away, her lips locked themselves into a snarl.

"It is very beautiful," Yuna lied. She quickly took a few snapshots and during the process she noticed a small, gate that was covered in some sort of ivy. "What's over there?" Yuna pointed to the peculiar gate.

"Oh, that's off limits. Not even I have been through the gate. It's a private place for my dad to think, I think," Tidus explained. Yuna had to hold back an evil laugh. Jecht? Think? Those two didn't seem to go together for some reason. She was so lost in the thought, that she didn't notice Tidus's increasing advancements until he was standing right in front of her. His eyes glared down at her and his hands began to brush her shoulders. Yuna wanted to shove the creep off her and shoot his ass, but she allowed him to touch her. "How about I show you my bedroom?" He suggested. Yuna reluctantly nodded and allowed him to lace his fingers with her and take him to his bedroom.

Yuna knew Tidus was a bit of a lady's man, but she didn't possibly think he was that easy. After what seemed like hours, the door to his room opened and they stepped inside.

The room was quite large, but very plain. It consisted of a large, four poster bed, a small desk, and an armoire. There were no decorations except for the drapes that hung above the French doors that led to the balcony. "I know it's not much, but it's roomy." Tidus smiled. A maid suddenly entered the room, carrying a tray of champagne and wine classes. "Thank you Izanami," Tidus said to the maid. Izanami bowed and left the two alone once more. "Would you like some champagne?" Tidus asked. Yuna nodded, snatched the glass from his hands, and downed it one gulp. Tidus's eyes rose. He was definitely impressed.

"Thank you," Yuna said and she motioned for another, which she downed once again. Yuna needed as much alcohol as she could get if she was about to sleep with the man standing before her. She couldn't believe that Badan expected her to do this. He was her born enemy, yet she was being forced to indulge in his fantasies.

"You're quite a little drinker, aren't you?" Tidus asked as he sipped his first glass of wine slowly. Yuna nodded and poured herself another glass. She decided to take this one slow though, because she started to feel the alcohol take its effect. Tidus finally set his glass down and inched closer to her. His hands began to wonder up and down her smooth curves and his lips began to caress her neck. Yuna bit her lip to stop her from screaming with disgust.

Tidus's roaming hands began to work their way up to her partly exposed breasts. And his lips began to wonder up to her lips and he finally placed them softly on top of them. Yuna couldn't take it anymore and she pushed him off, grabbed her guns, and pointed them at him all in one motion. Tidus's beady blue eyes stared back at her, fear bleeding through them.

**A/N: **Sorry for the long wait… I've been pretty busy with college and stuff. However, I got a burst of inspiration and just sat down and wrote… I hope you like it!


	3. Capture

**Pieces of a Puzzle**

Chapter 3 Capture

_Tidus's roaming hands began to work their way up to her partly exposed breasts. And his lips began to wonder up to her lips and he finally placed them softly on top of them. Yuna couldn't take it anymore and she pushed him off, grabbed her guns, and pointed them at him all in one motion. Tidus's beady blue eyes stared back at her, fear bleeding through them._

"Okay, I know there is a secret escape root around here. I want you to kindly show me where it is, then the two of us are to leave this place." Yuna ordered. She held one of her beautiful tiny bee guns squarely at Tidus's face. Tidus eyes were flashing with fear and she could see his body shaking uncontrollably. _"Hah, what a coward," _Yuna laughed evilly to herself.

"Who, who are you?" Tidus asked dumbly.

"That is not important right now! Please, show me the way to your secret passage!" Yuna hissed. She tried to be as quiet as possible. She had him in her trap now and she didn't need any outsiders coming in, disrupting her plans. Tidus nodded, walked over to the desk and pulled a desk drawer open. Immediately, a wall pushed in and slid to the right to reveal a dark, dank passageway. "Why thank you! Now, move!" Yuna ordered. "Also, if you dare make one sound, I will send one of these golden bullets through your brain."

Tidus appeared to have gotten the message and began to lead her through the passageway. Yuna grabbed his arm and held the gun close to his right kidney. "One false move and you are dead," Yuna warned again. She could hear Tidus gulp a little bit as they walked deeper into the dark tunnel. The walls were wet and slimy and a foul odor began sting Yuna's nose. "How much farther is it?" Yuna asked.

"Um, I am not sure… I haven't ever actually had to use this place, so I don't exactly know where we are going," Tidus said shakily. Yuna rolled her eyes and hit his back with the butt of her treasured guns. Tidus's muscles stiffened with pain, but he didn't make a sound. Yuna smiled with delight. Despite the fact that they were probably lost in this disgusting corridor, she did enjoy the power that she had over Tidus now.

"Don't you dare say those things to me! You will find our way out of here, got it?" Yuna growled.

"I am sorry, but I don't know the way!" Tidus whined. Yuna hit him again, knocking him to the moldy ground below. She stood above him and pointed both guns to his head. Her fingers were itchy to pull the trigger that rested within her index finger, but she took a deep breath and pulled the guns away. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't shoot him. It would blow the mission and she would surely get her ass kicked.

"Dammit! Men, they are so useless," Yuna hissed. "Now get up, I guess I'll have to find the fucking way!" Tidus slowly got up. Yuna grabbed his arm again and hurried him down the 

winding path. They eventually came to a crossroad and all of a sudden memories began to flood in. She suddenly was reliving the night that completely changed her life forever. "It's this way," Yuna mumbled, pointing to the right.

"You sound so sure," Tidus remarked.

"Shut up!" Yuna growled. The memories had once again struck a nerve and she was not in the mood for comments from the peanut gallery. Tidus, who was smarter than he looked, didn't say another word until they finally reached the exit of the tunnel. Standing outside the entrance were a group of what looked like Al Bheds.

"Oui tet ed! (You did it)" Rikku explained. Yuna nodded with triumph and threw her hostage towards the small group. Tidus stood in the center, staring at them with a look of horror. Al Bhed was his father's mortal enemies, but it never crossed his mind. Plus, why was his capturer mingling with these folks. From what he had heard, Al Bhed do not let any outsiders in their little clan. She didn't seem Al Bhed at all.

"Fryd yna oui clynat ypuid (What are you scared about?)? Fa yna zicd y pihlr uv vneahtmo Al Bheds (We are just a bunch of friendly Al Bheds)." Yuna chuckled in Al Bhed. Tidus spinned around and noticed that Yuna's once beautiful blue eyes had been transformed to both blue and green.

"I demand you to tell me what is going on! In Spiran!" Tidus growled.

"You are now under Al Bhed's hostage, get over it!" A deep voice gruffly suddenly said. Out of the shadows came a gruff older man, this was Badan. Chills crept down Tidus's spine at the sight of him. Something was not right about that guy. Tidus could feel the evil radiating off of him immediately. He quickly glanced over to his capturer. A thick, angry scowl suddenly adorned her face.

"Why? Why are you doing this?" Tidus begged.

"E ys denat uv rec luhcecdahd frehehk, bmayca zicd mad sa cruud res huf (I am tired of his consistent whining, please just let me shoot him now!)!" Yuna growled. Badan couldn't help but laugh, but it quickly changed to a scowl and he smacked Yuna square in the face, knocking her to the ground. Tidus moved to help her, but two strong Al Bhed males quickly grabbed hold of his arms.

"Dryd ec ahuikr so muja. Oui sicd pa bydeahd (That is enough my love. You must be patient!)!" Badan smirked. Yuna growled with anger, eager to pull the guns on him once again, but she was able to keep control. She could feel Tidus's worried glares behind her. The thought made her sick. Why was he worrying about her? Then again, he had yet learned her true identity. "Let's go, Cid is waiting," Badan growled. The group got everything ready, and began to weave through the cold Macalania forest.

The walk was quiet, until Yuna and Badan began to argue about something in Al Bhed. He 

slapped her around a bunch of times, but yet, everybody kept going. Nobody stepped into intervene and if Tidus made one sound, he got smacked in the back of the head. It made no sense to him. Was it common for Al Bheds to treat each other like that? He had heard that they had gruesome lifestyles, but he would have never imagined that it was this bad.

They finally reached their destination, after about an hour of fighting through the fiends. In front of them stood a very tall airship. A shudder fell down Tidus's back, despite that he was born and spent a small portion of his life in the great machina city of Zanarkand; he had spent the rest of his life in Spira. Spirans preferred a more primitive lifestyle. Very few machina were allowed to be used and the Al Bhed was known to defy this rule.

Now, what stood before him was one of those machina. He had no idea that the Al Bhed possessed such a thing. It was very beautiful and seemed safe, but Tidus still couldn't seem to trust it. "What's the matter? Machina scare you or something? Can't tell you are from Zanarkand," Yuna huffed.

Tidus turned towards her. Her persona had done a complete 180, it seemed. Before, she seemed sexy and sweet. Now, a harsh cold aura had surrounded her. Tidus could feel the hatred radiating off her. But why did she hate him so much? It wasn't just him, but it seemed she was that way to everybody. Everything about her was alluring to him and he couldn't help, but feel drawn to her.

"Who are you?" Tidus asked once again.

"That is not information you need to know." Yuna snapped. She continued to walk towards the airship, her harsh voice sent chills down Tidus's spine. However, it wasn't out of fear, it was more out of curiosity.

"Ymm bnabynydeuhc yna lusbmada, fa yna nayto du dyga uvv frah oui yna (All preparations are complete, we are ready to take off when you are)," a new Al Bhed announced suddenly. The group nodded and herded Tidus into the forsaken machina.

Tidus was thrown into what seemed to be the main control room. He felt the angry stares of several more Al Bheds. Yuna pushed through and greeted a shirtless tattooed man, "Luhhald sa du Cid (Connect me to Cid)" The man nodded and started fumbling with this sphere contraption in the center of the room.

"Tet oui lybdina res? (Did you capture him)" Cid asked suddenly.

"Oac (Yes)," Yuna replied simply.

"Fedruid y claha? (Without a scene)" Cid pressed.

Yuna rolled her eyes, "Oac, ajanodrehk fahd csuudrmo. (Yes, everything went smoothly)"

"Guut, kuut. Huf kad ouin ycc pylg rana pavuna dra kiyntc veht oui! (Good, good. Now get your ass back here before the guards find you)" Cid ordered.



"Oui raynt res, mad'c kad dra vilg uid uv rana! (You heard him, let's get the fuck out of here)" Yuna ordered. The Al Bheds responsible for navigating the ship, suddenly started to scramble to get the airship ready for takeoff. Yuna turned around and stormed out of the room, Badan following closely behind her.

"Hi there!" a sweet voice suddenly ringed behind Tidus. He turned to find a very pretty Al Bhed standing behind him, smiling sweetly. Another Al Bhed, who didn't seem quite as nice, stood closely next to her.

"Uh, hi," Tidus said awkwardly.

"My name is Rikku and this is my boyfriend Gippal," Rikku smiled. "I wanted to apologize for the harsh treatment has been giving you. That is no way to treat you a guest," she continued sweetly.

"Could you possibly tell me what is going on?" Tidus asked quickly.

"Um, I can't tell you at this point. You will find out soon enough, however," Rikku explained. Tidus groaned and rubbed his temples where a headache was beginning to form. "I'm really sorry about all this, but I assure you, once we get to our base you will be filled in completely."

"Who is that girl, the girl who captured me?" Tidus tried again.

"Can't tell you," Rikku giggled.

"Ugh! Can you tell me anything?!" Tidus groaned.

"No, sorry. Just sit here and relax, we will be home very shortly," Rikku sighed. She grabbed Tidus's shoulder and led him to a seat against the back wall. Tidus muttered a thank you and took a seat. This has got to be one of the weirdest days he had ever experienced in his life.

**Yuna** walked through the cabin doors and immediately began pulling off of her disgusting outfit. She picked a pair of grey sweats and a white tank top and tugged them on. The door to the cabin opened and she could hear Badan's uneven footsteps clunk upstairs. "Awww, why did you take off that outfit, you looked so nice in it." He teased. He walked over and wrapped his arms around Yuna's waist and pulled her close to him.

"Get your fucking hands off of me!" Yuna growled. Badan just laughed and began to brush his lips against her neck. Yuna felt like she was going to throw up. She hated this man almost as much as she hated Jecht.

"I wanted to let you know that you did a good job today. Looks like I did a good job training you. You had that boy scared shitless!" Badan chuckled in Yuna's ear.

"Thanks," Yuna growled. She pulled Badan's digusting hands off of her and began to walk towards the door, but Badan grabbed both of her arms. Yuna screamed and tried to pull away.



"Now, now. You can't walk without your prize," Badan whispered. He started pulling her towards the bed and threw her onto it.

**Tidus's **stomach suddenly felt heavy as he felt the airship begin its descent to the unknown. Tidus tried to peer out the window, but all he could see was the endless ocean below him. Where the heck did they expect to land?

The two doors leading to the bridge suddenly opened and in came Yuna, her two guns held tightly in her hands. Her eyes seem to burn with fury as she walked up to the tattooed man once again. Badan came in shortly after, a disgusting smile plastered all over his face. Tidus looked over at Rikku and noticed an extremely disgusted scowl started to twist on her features. Tidus could somehow sense that something unthinkable must have just happened between those two.

"You! Up now!" Yuna suddenly ordered. Tidus stood up and Yuna immediately grabbed Tidus's left arm, pressing one of her guns into Tidus's lower back. Tidus shuddered at the power Yuna had over him. Tidus looked over at Rikku again. She was shaking her head, apparently displeased by how Yuna was treating him. Why couldn't the others be like her?

"So, how do you like the Al Bhed so far?" Badan asked suddenly. Tidus's head quickly flipped towards his voice and he felt his stomach twist in disgust. An extremely revolting smile had twisted on his face, making Tidus feel sick. He could even sense Yuna's disgust from behind him.

"They are exactly how I thought they would be," Tidus replied.

"Which is?" Badan asked, his eyebrows waved.

"Ruthless and revolting," Tidus spat. Yuna groaned behind him and pressed her nails into Tidus's skin.

"You call us revolting?! You fucking Yevon scum!" Yuna screamed. She suddenly threw Tidus and a gunshot sounded. That's when Tidus's vision went black….

**A/N: **Sorry for taking so long. I've had very little inspiration this summer, even though I had plenty of time to write. However, today I actually felt like writing and here is the result. I don't think this chapter was all that good, though. Whatever, I'll leave it up for you to decide. Hope you enjoyed it!


	4. A Different Light

**Pieces of a Puzzle**

Chapter 4: A Different Light

Yuna stared down at her victim, her breath heavy and her hands shaking after realizing what she had just done. On the left side of his head was a sharp indent where the bullet had hit. He lay there unscathed, but clearly passed out from pure fear. Badan stepped in front of her and slapped her face hard enough to knock her on the ground. Yuna laid still, completely stunned.

"What the fuck is your problem, you good for nothing bitch! You almost just ruined everything!" Badan screamed at her. Yuna didn't say a word. Badan went to go after her again, but Gippal stepped in.

"That's enough, come on, we are about to land. You can deal with her later," Gippal said shakily. He then walked over and helped Yuna to her feet, her hand still tight on her gun. A soft welt was beginning to form where Badan had hit her.

"You okay," Rikku whispered softly to Tidus, after reviving him.

Tidus felt around everywhere, "Yeah, just a little shaken, that's all." He then looked over at Yuna, whose eyes for the first time didn't seem numb. Instead, intense pain and sadness seemed to hide deep within the iris. Tidus was lost in the sudden gaze.

"Come on, we are about to land," Rikku finally whispered, breaking Tidus from his haze. Tidus nodded and numbly got to his feet. By the time he looked over at Yuna again, she had begun to strap her gun underneath her sweat pants pant leg and had regained her cold composure once again.

"_Was that her way of apologizing to me?" _Tidus asked himself. The look of her eyes was still strong in his mind as he heard the landing gear begin to play its role and before he knew it, they were on the ground.

Yuna grabbed his arm and began to lead him towards the exit. Tidus gulped as fear began to develop once again. This seemed to be a common thing since he was captured by the Al Bhed. Maybe it was because the idea that Al Bhed were evil was embedded in his brain. Excluding Badan, however, they didn't seem all that bad. So why was he afraid?

Tidus found himself being led down a ramp. Below was a large crowd of scowling Al Bheds. The one that stood out the most to him though was a certain bald man standing just at the bottom. A couple of armed men stood around him as his protection. This must have been the so-called Cid that Yuna had talked to earlier.

"It is good to see you guys got back safe and sound," he smiled as Yuna forced Tidus to face the leader of the Al Bhed. Tidus gulped in fear as Cid inspected his features. "You are quite handsome, Jecht did one thing right," Cid scoffed. Tidus just glared at him. He could feel the hatred of his father radiating off of him. Tidus knew the Al Bhed hated Jecht, but he could not figure out why.

"Well I have to say, Miss Alyona over here almost blew the mission. She actually shot at the man, can you believe it?" Badan chuckled from behind Yuna.

"Shut the fuck up!" Yuna growled. Her grip on Tidus began to get stronger, causing Tidus to wince.

"Well he is still alive and that is all that matters," Cid smiled. "Now, I hope you will enjoy your stay with us. This kidnapping is solely meant for a sort of revolution, so to speak. No violence or harm will be forced upon you in any way," Cid continued, focusing his attention towards Tidus.

Yuna snorted behind him, "As if." Cid shot her a warning glare. Yuna shrugged at it, but didn't say any more.

"Why are you doing this?" Tidus growled suddenly.

A stupid smile suddenly appeared on Cid's lips, "You will find all the answers in time." He then turned to the crowd that was getting larger each minute. Tidus never imagined that there were this many Al Bheds. "Now my people please let us through so that we can begin our plans."

A small path began to form and Tidus found himself being led through. The Al Bheds were all whispering amongst themselves. It was all in Al Bhed, so he could not pick up what they were saying, but he imagined that it wasn't very nice. The deathly glares that were shot towards him sent chills down his spine.

**Auron **lightly tapped on a large door and was motioned in. Inside the eloquently decorated office, sat Jecht, his attention focused on a sheet of paper in front of him. "Have you seen Tidus?" Auron asked quickly. Jecht's eyes lifted from the sheet of paper and fell back down to the paper.

He shook his head, "He is probably flirting around with some woman in the city."

"He didn't show up to his training or to Blitzball practice. He never misses though without giving a reason first," Auron explained.

Jecht's eyes lifted again, "Did you check the infirmary? The poor bastard might have ingested too much alcohol again."

"Yes."

"Well I have no idea where the fuck he is, I am sure he will show up again eventually. I have more important things to worry about," Jecht growled.

"Sir, what if he was kidnapped?" Auron asked.

"Kidnapped? Who the hell would kidnap the whiny, spoiled brat of a kid?" Jecht chuckled.

"The Al Bhed?"

"Look, I doubt they would have been able to do anything like that without being noticed. The Al Bhed are quite easy to pick out in a crowd." Jecht pounded his fist on his desk. "Now, I have a lot of work to do, so please don't bother me again unless it is really, really important."

"Yes sir," Auron bowed.

"And what did I tell you? Stop calling me sir!" Jecht growled. Auron nodded and left the room, the worry of the possible kidnap still in the back of his mind. Auron decided that if Jecht wasn't going to investigate into it, then he would take the duty. He figured he would start in town and work from there. Something definitely was not right.

**Tidus **was led through a series of corridors, before finding himself in front of a room. Cid punched in a code into a device and the door opened. Inside was a relatively nice bedroom. The bed was king sized and the sheets were of satin.

"This is where you will be staying. You will not leave this room without an escort and see that door right there, which is the door that connects you to Yuna's chambers." Cid explained.

"Why the fuck do you have him next to me!" Yuna growled.

"You will find it out soon enough, my dear." Cid smiled. Yuna felt like she was going to puke. This Yevon scum was now going to be sleeping next to her. The worst of her nightmares were definitely coming true. "Now, follow me and we will brief you on everything you would like to know," Cid continued, turning towards Tidus.

"Thanks for the hospitality," Tidus grunted.

"I have a feeling your feelings on us Al Bhed will change dramatically in the next few days," Cid smiled. Yuna rolled her eyes and left the room, Badan following closely behind her. Rikku lightly grabbed his arm and began to lead him after her. Tidus was a little grateful that Rikku had a hold of him now. Her grip was a lot less painful.

Again, Tidus found himself weaving in and out of thousands of different halls. Tidus thought the Bevelle Palace was complicated; the Al Bhed headquarters seemed a hell of a lot more complicated. Finally they reached two very large doors and went through them. Inside sat a very long table of pine, with a ton of chairs sitting around it. Rikku led him all the way down, next to the head of the table on the left side. Cid took the head seat, Yuna took the seat across from him, Badan next to her, Rikku sat next to Tidus, and Gippal took the seat next to Rikku.

A large white screen suddenly came down behind Cid and suddenly a blue screen appeared. "We have something to show you first," Cid said suddenly. "Hopefully what we are about to show you will clearly show you our intense hatred towards your father and why we plan on getting rid of him."

"Why I AM going to get rid of him," Yuna corrected Cid. Badan chuckled, but Cid didn't seem the least bit pleased.

"Whatever this case may be, I hope you see your father in a different light after this video." Cid continued. Tidus nodded and found his eyes traveling towards the screen. A picture suddenly appeared and his father's voice could be heard in the background.

"_Ah, Amelia, you look very beautiful in the moonlight." Jecht said seductively. _

"_What is going on! Where is my husband?" Amelia cried. _

"_Don't worry, he is safe. I was able to tuck him away someplace safe." Jecht assured her. _

"_Where! I want to see him!" Amelia sobbed._

_There was a long silence, "I can arrange that, but you are going to have to trust me on this."_

"_Anything, just take me to my husband!" Amelia urged. Suddenly the screen turned to focus on the two of them. Amelia was glowing in the moonlight, a dark figure stood with his back turned towards the camera. It appeared they were someplace deep in Macalania forest. _

"_Well then, follow me." Jecht announced. In the background, an airship could be heard as it began to lift off. The light coming off of it flew over the two, giving the dark figure a different life. The man was dressed in Jecht's usual style of dress. No shirt, shoeless, and shorts. Tidus always thought his ridiculous style of dress was neither professional nor maester looking. _

_The camera went black for a minute, before coming back on again, this time in a large unknown dungeon. Strapped to a chair and gagged, sat Braska. His eyes bled with fear when he saw Amelia and Jecht enter the room. Gagged grunts began to come from him._

_Jecht walked over and hit him on the back of the head. His back still turned towards the camera. A scream suddenly sounded and Jecht quickly grabbed Amelia, before she could run away. "YOU!" Amelia screamed._

"_Yes, it is me!" Jecht laughed evilly. He threw Amelia to the ground and fell ontop of her. Braska watched in horror as Jecht tore his struggling wife's clothes off. _

Tidus turned away from the scream, tears stinging his eyes. He couldn't watch anymore. Cid waved his hand and the video was stopped. Yuna stared straight ahead, her eyes melting with anger. "Now do you see why you hate your father so much?" Cid growled.

Tidus turned, the tears streaming from his face, "That can't be my father."

"Well, it is. How do you think I felt when that sphere was sent to me? Watching my poor defenseless sister be raped and murdered right in front of my eyes. After all the work Braska did with us to gain our trust and then your father did this!" Cid growled.

"Or to leave a child without her mother or father," Yuna said suddenly. Tidus shifted his gaze towards her. "To leave her with this knowledge about how she was killed. To know that he was still walking on this earth as a free man, not paying for what he did!" She pounded the table with her fist. "How would you feel?! "

"Yu….Yuna?" Tidus asked shakily.

"Yes, I am Yuna."

**A/N: **Sorry for taking so long, I have been busy with college and all that. I hope you liked it! OH AND PLEASE REVIEW!!!


	5. Friendship

**Pieces of a Puzzle**

Chapter 5: Friendship

_Holding tightly to his father's hand, he felt himself being guided through the endless labyrinth of the palace walls. This was the first time he had ever visited the palace and it was a little overwhelming. The palace walls were decorated with intricate patterns of red and gold. "Father, where are we going?" he asked once again._

"_I told you, we have been appointed as Maester Braska's advisor and this is our new home." His father answered. _

"_But I didn't want to move! I liked living in Zanarkand, Bevelle seems so boring and uptight," he complained._

"_This is your new home, so shut up and deal with it!" his father scolded. He fell silent, a sense of loneliness falling over him. It seemed so much different here. Everybody was dressed in fancy robes and talked in fancy dialogue. Even the way they walked seemed to be structured, with their arms folded and their eyes lowered, trying not to make any eye contact._

_They finally reached a large, intricately carved wooden door. Two large guards were standing outside and blocked them from entering. "Please reveal the reason you have come," one of the guards ordered._

"_We have been summoned to speak to the Maester about becoming his new advisor," his father explained. The guard who had spoken nodded, and knocked on the door. It opened slightly to reveal a very old, fragile looking man. The guard repeated what his father had just said and the door was opened for them to pass through._

_They stepped inside to find a very large office. Like the rest of the palace, it was decorated with various hues of red and gold. In the back of the room, sat a very large desk made of oak. Behind it sat an ornately dressed man. "Ah, my good friend Jecht. How great it is to see you!" the man said happily. He stood up from his desk and pulled him into a deep hug. _

"_Is it alright to be so informal, sir?" Jecht asked._

_The man chuckled, "You are one of my greatest friends, of course it is!" He shifted his attention to the small boy hiding behind his father's big figure. "I take it this is your son?"_

"_This scrawny little thing? Yeah, he is my son, a little bit of a troublemaker if you ask me," Jecht laughed._

"_Like father, like son I'd say," the man joked. "Come on out, there is no reason to be afraid." He slightly peeked from behind his father and finally stepped out. "What is your name?" _

"_Tidus," the boy said shakily._

"_Tidus, what a lovely name. My name is Braska. I have a daughter that is about your age, her name is Yuna. Would you like to meet her?" the kind man asked. Tidus didn't answer, he wasn't sure how he should answer. What he really wanted was to go back home._

"_Daddy! Mommy is being mean!" a young girl's voice suddenly called out. Tidus turned to find a pretty young girl dressed in a blue dress storm through the door that they just had entered. Behind her was a beautiful, young Al Bhed woman._

"_Why is she being mean?" Braska asked patiently._

"_Because she won't let me play in the forest!" Yuna told him. To further emphasize her point, she crossed her arms and pressed her lips together in a pout._

"_Why in the world would you want to do that? You know how dangerous it is there, with fiends running around and all," Braska said._

"_Not you too, daddy!" Yuna protested._

"_How about this, do you see this young boy here? His name is Tidus and he just moved here and would like a playmate. How about you two play in the garden?" Braska suggested. _

_Yuna glanced over at the nervous little boy and shook her head, "No! I want to play in the woods!" _

"_Well, that's not going to happen missy." Braska scolded her. He then shifted his attention to Tidus, "You can come over, don't be afraid." Tidus hesistantly let go of his father's hand and stood next to Braska. Yuna glared at Tidus, but made no movement to properly greet him. This resulted in a warning glare from Braska._

"_Okay, fine. Let's go play in the garden," Yuna sulked. Tidus nodded and he followed Yuna out of the large room. _

"_Kids," Braska chuckled. "Now, where were we? Amelia, I would like you to meet my dear friend, Lord Braska."_

_**Tidus **__once again found himself being guided through the endless labyrinth of the palace walls. One turn would lead to another, then another. Tidus could not understand how anybody could navigate themselves through this blasted place. Following closely behind was a tall man, dressed in a long red coat. His face was half hidden by his collar and he had dark sunglasses blocking his eyes. Tidus crept up closer to Yuna, feeling a little nervous around him. _

_Noticing his reaction, Yuna laughed mockingly, "Wow, aren't you a little scaredy cat? That's my father's trusted advisor, Auron. There is no reason to be scared of him."_

"_Oh," Tidus said nervously. He glanced behind him and took a deep breath, but couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling he had. Yuna just rolled her eyes and then next thing she knew, they were outside in the bright sunlight. They were surrounded by tall rosebushes that had every color of rose you could possibly think of. Tidus felt a smile of amazement creep on his lips, shaking off any uneasy feelings he had before._

"_The forest is prettier," Yuna pouted. She then sat on a bench and looked up at the sky, obviously choosing to ignore Tidus's presence. _

"_Do, do you want to play hide and go seek?" Tidus asked nervously._

"_That game is for babies!" Yuna growled. _

"_Then, what do you want to do?" Tidus asked. He was starting to get a little annoyed by her obvious irritation. _

"_I guess we can play hide and go seek," Yuna sighed. She stood up from her bench. "You're it!" she squealed and then disappeared behind one of the rose hedges. Tidus rolled his eyes and started to count. _

"_49…50! Ready or not, here I come!" Tidus called out. He spun around to find Yuna standing right behind him. With shock, he let out a big yelp._

"_Haha! Got you!" she squealed. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then again ran behind the rose hedge. _

_Tidus felt his face suddenly flush red, the area where her lips had impacted his cheek felt very warm. He quickly wiped his cheek, "She's going to get it!" He clenched his fists and began to search for her. He looked behind the rose hedge that she disappeared behind, but she wasn't there. He then turned the corner and found her hiding behind the hedge. She let out a squeal then quickly disappeared again. Tidus growled and ran after her and soon a game of tag began. _

_After the two were too tired from running around, they both collapsed on a bench, breathing heavily. "You know, you're not half bad. Let's be friends? Okay?" Yuna smiled. _

"_Ok," Tidus replied simply. Yuna let out another laugh and they both again took off after each other, playing tag till the sun went down…_

Tidus eyes burst open suddenly and he lifted his groggy head. The door opened and in came the same blonde Al Bhed that had been so nice to him before. "Good morning, did you sleep well?" she asked cheerfully.

"Uh, yeah," Tidus said sleepily. He wiped his face, his mind reflecting on the dream. This particularly memory had been stored within his mind, but he had never really thought about it till now. Yuna and he had become instant friends since that moment and had spent endless hours playing together in that very garden, but then she suddenly disappeared. Tidus remembered crying for days over it, because his one friend in the palace was no longer there and he was suddenly alone. His father was busy cleaning up the mess that had fallen over the palace and taking control.

"Are you okay?" Rikku asked, noticing his loss of thought.

"Yeah, sorry, I just had a strange dream," Tidus said, snapping out of his thoughts.

"I see, well get dressed. My father would like to see you at breakfast," Rikku smiled. She placed some nicely folded clothes on the bedside table and turned to exit the room.

"Why can't everybody be as nice as you?" he muttered, before getting up and throwing some clothes on. He exited his room to find Yuna standing outside his door. She was slumped against the wall, with her arms folded tightly across her chest. An obvious scowl was plastered all over her face.

"Good, you're finally up! Now get moving," she growled. She spun on her heel and began to head briskly down the wall. Tidus had to keep at a slow jog to keep up with her.

"Hey, can you slow down! Why do you have to walk so fast?" Tidus shouted at her.

"Because I don't want to spend as little time with you Yevon scum as possible," Yuna answered back.

"Hey, I'm not from Spira remember, I'm from Zanarkand and we don't follow Yevon traditions and isn't that insulting yourself?" Tidus said.

Yuna spun around, "Oh, you think you are so smart, I bet you are proud of that aren't you? Well, you better shut that trap of yours or one of these babies' precious bullets is going to go right through your head, got it?"

"I'd like to see you try," Tidus shot back. Yuna grabbed for one of her guns, but a hand stopped her suddenly and she was thrown against the wall.

"Now, now dearest, please remain calm. We do have a plan, after all," Badan sneered.

"Get the fuck away from me!" Yuna screamed. She tried pushing the large man off of her, but with no avail.

"Getting frisky are we? Maybe we should go into another room," Badan chuckled. His lips began to caress her neck and his hands began groping up her sides. All Yuna could do was stand still, biting her lip till it bled.

"Hey! Get off of her!" Tidus growled. He couldn't stand still and watch this man do this to her anymore. Despite her obvious hostility towards him, a woman should not be treated like this. He grabbed Badan by the shoulder and pulled him off of her.

"You stay out of this! This is between me and her!" Badan growled. He pushed Tidus back with so much force, that he fell back to the opposite wall. He then went back Yuna, but she was ready for him this time and kneed him right into the crotch.

"We have to go to breakfast!" Yuna growled. She then quickly ran her hands through her hair and briskly walked off. Tidus picked himself and quickly ran after her, leaving Badan crumpled on the floor.

"Why did you do that?" Yuna asked abruptly.

"Look, I can't stand around seeing him treat you like that," Tidus said.

"Just do what everybody else does, turn a blind eye. What goes on between the two of us is our problem, not yours. Despite how he treats me, he has prepared me to reach my life goal. I can handle myself!" Yuna growled. She then spun around and began to walk briskly away once again.

"What ever happened to us being friends?" Tidus sighed.

"**Ah** there you are," Cid greeted Tidus as he stepped into the dining hall. The table was elegantly set and the smell of a heavenly breakfast of pancakes and eggs filled Tidus's nostrils. Tidus was impressed, to say the least. "Please, have a seat and eat as much as you want." Cid continued, while motioning to a seat at the head of the table. Tidus nodded shyly and quietly took his place. He felt the cold stares of the other Al Bhed in the room, causing the hair to stand up on the back of his neck.

Badan entered the room, "Sorry I am a little late, I ran across a… complication." Yuna rolled her eyes and began to shovel her food into her mouth. Tidus carefully picked up his fork and began to poke around his food, suddenly feeling too nervous to eat.

"Now that we are all here, it is time to tell you exactly what you are doing here," Cid said, while standing up.

"Can't we just kill him," Yuna muttered.

Cid shot Yuna an angry look, "No, we need him. As you may know, we are not very fond of your father and we would like to save the world from that monster. Our plan is to overthrow him and replace him with somebody we feel like is more suitable. "

"And what makes you think I am going to along with this?" Tidus questioned Cid. "Afterall, this my father you are talking about."

"I believe, son, that you have no other choice. You are in a room full of Al Bhed's that could easily take you out." Cid warned him.

"I would graciously volunteer!" Yuna suggested. She rubbed her pistols to further emphasize her point.

"What do you plan on doing with my father?" Tidus asked.

"Give him what he deserves! The most painful death you could possibly imagine!" Yuna snarled.

"I can't let you do that, you may hate him, but this has got to be a misunderstanding. I know my dad isn't the nicest man in the world, but I don't believe he could have possibly done that. There has to be a mistake," Tidus insisted. He and his father did not have the best relationship and constantly butt heads with each other, but he knew his father cared for Yuna's family a great deal and their deaths had greatly hurt his father.

"How can you say that, when the evidence was clearly presented to you on that sphere?" Yuna screamed, pounding her fist onto the table.

"Yuna, calm down, Tidus, believe what you believe, but there is no turning back now. If you want to live, I suggest you just accept our plan. Your father needs to pay for what he did and we need to bring back Spira to what it used to be. Do you think we like being outsiders?" Cid asked.

"No," Tidus said, clenching his fists, aware that his hands were tied.

"Okay, so we desperately need your help. If you die, we are going to end up killing your father anyway, so it would be all in vain. Don't try and play martyr." Cid explained.

"I understand," Tidus grumbled. His eyes fell to his knees. How did he allow himself to get in this situation? He realized he had no choice, he had to go along with their little game.

"Okay, good!" Cid clapped his hands together. "Now, Yuna, I am going to be put him in charge with learning our culture and showing him that the we are not so bad, as well as teaching him how to be a proper maester."

Both Tidus and Yuna's eyes shot up at Cid with bewilderment….

**A/N: **I know it's been basically two years since I've last updated. Just haven't had the inspiration to update, I guess. Well, I was able to now. Hope you liked it!


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